BYU's AJ Dybantsa soars as college basketball's top NIL earner

AJ Dybantsa is settling in for his only season in Provo. 

The top five-star college basketball player in this year's class has wrapped up his time at Utah Prep and looks to contribute early at BYU. 

While he passed on traditional powerhouse programs to be under Kevin Young's guidance, there were no mistakes in the process. Dybantsa will get NBA-style coaching before heading off to the league next year. Before that happens, he'll be one of the top NIL earners in the country. 

Dybantsa was ranked No. 5 on the latest NIL valuation list, according to On3. His total is noted at $3.8 million, which is on the lower end. He also recently denied receiving a $7 million payout from BYU during the McDonald's All-American Game last month. 

With Duke's Cooper Flagg moving on to the NBA, Dybantsa will move up at least one spot to become the top college basketball earner. 

At 6-foot-9, Dybantsa has elite athleticism and a demanding court presences, giving him a comparison to Kevin Garnett. The versatile forward is already generating buzz from his play in the Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic. 

Young has openly stated his vision of transforming BYU into a NBA feeder program and that starts with building around Dybantsa. He's getting Baylor transfer guard Robert Wright with him next year. The top floor general from the 2024 recruiting class will be a great addition in the Cougars' projected starting five, along with Dybantsa, Richie Saunders, Keba Keita, and Kennard Davis Jr.